- A rugby player has denied allegations of sexual offences against teenagers
- Connor Lind is accused of performing anal, oral and digital sex with a child
- He pleaded not guilty to the charges against him.
A promising young rugby player allegedly engaged in sexual acts with two underage girls, a jury has heard.
Connor Lind, 23, is on trial at Sydney’s Downing Centre District Court, where he has pleaded not guilty to a series of alleged sexual offences against two teenage girls.
The Crown Prosecution Service has alleged he engaged in anal, oral and digital sexual intercourse with a girl, who was 14 at the time, the court was told on the first day of his trial on Wednesday.
He has also denied putting his hand down the same girl’s trousers while they were on the sofa at his parents’ home on Sydney’s northern beaches.
Crown prosecutor Peter Lowe told the court the allegation was supported by a witness who saw the incident and immediately sent a text message to his mother.
The girl was in eighth or ninth grade at the time of the alleged offences, the court was told.
On Wednesday afternoon, the jury was shown a portion of the girl’s initial interview with police during which she cried at times.
Mr Lind, through his lawyer Lisa-Claire Hutchinson, has denied having any sexual contact with any of the girls.
Connor Lind has denied engaging in sexual acts with underage girls
He pleaded not guilty to four counts of having sex with a child and one count of intentionally sexually touching a child.
One of the sexual relations charges relates to a second complainant, who was 15 years old at the time.
The court was told the charge relates to an allegation he kissed the girl before putting his hand down her trousers as they sat in his car on Dee Why beach.
“It all happened so fast that he just started kissing her,” Lowe told the jury during his opening statement Wednesday.
The girl was “too scared” to try to stop him during the incident, Lowe said.
Mr Lind was arrested at Sutherland Police Station in August 2021 and Mr Lind does not deny knowing the girls were aged 14 and 15 at the time.
However, Ms Hutchinson argued that at the time Mr Lind was a promising rugby player and university student and had “every reason to defend the law”.
The court was told he denied engaging in any sexual acts with any of the alleged victims.
The 23-year-old rugby player has denied a series of sexual offences in the New South Wales District Court.
One alleged victim said she was “too scared” to try to stop him.
Ms Hutchinson told the jury that the testimony of one of the girls (with whom she allegedly engaged in four sexual acts) “lacked veracity”.
He also denied kissing or touching the 15-year-old girl.
“He never kissed her, he never touched her, not that night, never,” she said.
The trial before Judge John Pickering continues on Thursday.
